Mary McLeod Bethune Mary McLeod Bethune was born in 1875 to former slaves in South Carolina | As a child she picked cotton for her mother's former owner | She went on to be an educator, civil rights advocate and government offcial | Part of her legacy is Bethune-Cookman University in Daytona Beach (WFTV Graphics Dept.)
Eatonville, Florida Eatonville, Florida, was one of the first self-governing all Black municipalities in the United States | It's in Orange County | More than 2,300 people live in Eatonville today (WFTV Graphics Dept.)
Prison Expectations This information was published by the U.S. government. (WFTV Graphics Dept.)
Voting Rights Civil rights advocates are working to change this law because of the disproportionate convictions of Black Americans. (WFTV Graphics Dept.)
Use of Force This information was published by the U.S. government. (WFTV Graphics Dept.)
Arrest Statistics This information was published by the U.S. government. (WFTV Graphics Dept.)
Fair Treatment This information was gathered by the Pew Research Center in 2019. (WFTV Graphics Dept.)
Black and Hispanic Drivers Black and Hispanic drivers are three times more likely to be searched during a traffic stop than White drivers. (WFTV Graphics Dept.)
The Groveland Four Four black men were wrongly accused of raping a white woman in Grovelandm Florida. Records show 22-year-olds Samuel Shepherd and Walter Irvin were beaten into confessing along with 16-year-old Charles Greenlee and Ernest Thomas. Thomas was 26 at the time he was shot to death by a sheriff’s posse when he tried to run. FBI evidence showed inconsistencies in the young woman’s story. A medical report also did not confirm she was raped. (WFTV Graphics Dept.)
Mandatory-Minimum Sentences African Americans are more likely to receive the mandatory minimum punishment than White defendants. (WFTV Graphics Dept.)
Wage disparity The average Black worker makes almost $8 less than the average White worker. (WFTV Graphics Dept.)
Legacy of Salvery on Black Americans 84% of Black Americans say the legacy of slavery affects the position of Black people in America today. (WFTV Graphics Dept.)
Rosewood, FL Rosewood, FL, is in Levy County. (WFTV Graphics Dept.)
Ocoee Massacre A white mob attacked Black residents who were trying to vote on Election Day. (WFTV Graphics Dept.)
Florida History of Lynchings Lynchings were used to promote terror in Black communities to establish a racial hierarchy | Historians say Florida had more lynchings per capita between 1900-1930 than any other state . (WFTV Graphics Dept.)
Black Americans and Equal Rights 50% of Black Americans say it is unlikely Blacks will ever have equal rights. (WFTV Graphics Dept.)